Meet the Appledore research team

Patrick Kelly

With more than 25 years’ experience in the data networking and software industry, Patrick has consulted and advised telecommunication companies in Europe, Asia, and North America.

Before founding Appledore Research he was a co-founder of OSS Observer, which was acquired by Analysys Mason. He became Research Director for Analysys Mason, responsible for managing all software programs.

His areas of focus include AI, GenAI and Analytics, network management, service assurance, customer experience management, cloud computing and M2M.  Patrick is a frequent speaker at telecommunication conferences and client customer events and is frequently quoted in industry trade publications.

He holds a Master of Business Administration from Plymouth University and a Bachelor of Science from University of Vermont.

Grant Lenahan

Grant has more than 25 years’ experience in the telecommunication infrastructure and software industry. He provides a unique combination of management and technical acumen from a focus on technology and business model innovation.

Grant leads Appledore’s research on Autonomous Networks spanning a range of topics including orchestration and automation, strategy, systems architecture, virtualization, edge, industry 4.0 and the commercial opportunities for telcos that result from greater autonomy. In a set of recent reports, he set out an industry blueprint for achieving autonomous networks.

He previously served in the CTO office at Ericsson and was actively involved in the industry standard bodies, including TM Forum, ZOOM and Open Digital initiatives. His areas of focus include NFV orchestration and management, SDN policy control, service creation and fulfilment, real time charging, digital ecosystems and M2M.

Grant holds a Bachelor of Science from Drew University and an MBA (SM-Management, SM-Engineering) from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Francis Haysom

Francis has more than 25 years’ experience in the telecommunications and software industry. He has led the design and implementation of OSS products at some of the industry’s leading CSPs, with a track record in enabling successful transformation.

He was previously responsible for the creation of the Professional Services organization and services engagement model for Cramer Systems and for driving new innovation at Telcordia, and later Ericsson.

He is an acknowledged expert in inventory, fulfillment and the transition to model-based orchestration, as well as the changed integration and services model for the successful adoption of telco cloud.

Dr. Haysom received his PhD from the University of Bath and has a BSc in Engineering Science from the University of Exeter.

Robert Curran

Robert has over 25 years’ experience in telecom and software, including CEO and CMO roles. He brings experience of corporate and product marketing, messaging and communications from a range of contexts from start-ups to scale-ups to blue-chip telecom, and across vendors and operators. His career spans a variety of roles at Orange, Cramer Systems, Amdocs, Telcordia, Ericsson, and network planning software vendor Aria Networks. At Appledore, Robert focuses on Open RAN and the disruptive change created by cloud and automation.

Robert has a BEng in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from Queen’s University, Belfast.

John Abraham

With over 16 years’ experience in the telecom industry, John leads Appledore’s Digital Enablement & Monetization program. Previously he was at Analysys Mason for 11 years, where as Principal Analyst he led the Digital Experience research segment. He has experience working with a varied client base on topics ranging from digitisation benchmarking and procurement for CSPs; strategy and go-to market for vendors and commercial and technical due diligence for financial institutions.

Earlier as a consultant at a BSS vendor, he led requirements gathering, solution definition and implementation at multiple tier-1 telcos in Asia and Europe. John holds a bachelor’s degree in computer science from Anna University (India) and an MBA from Bradford University School of Management (UK).

Shanthi Ravindran

Shanthi has over 30 years of experience working on the development, operations and technical sales of telecom networks and software from the first generation up to 5G, at Motorola and Nokia. She was the Lead Analyst for the nascent Network Orchestration program at Analysys Mason in 2015. Since then she has focused on Private Networks and control room software at Motorola Solutions, looking at how AI can be effectively introduced into control room software solutions. She has been a frequent speaker at industry conferences.

Shanthi has a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from University of Kerala, India and an Executive MBA from Aalto, Finland. She has also been teaching yoga for the past 10 years.

Luca DeMatteis

Luca De Matteis is a technology strategist and industry analyst with over 30 years of experience in software, telecom, and network automation. A recognized expert in AI-driven operations, network intelligence, and digital transformation, he has spent his career at the forefront of innovation in automation, orchestration, and resilient network architectures—all foundational to the evolving cybersecurity landscape.

Luca leads Appledore’s cybersecurity practice, providing strategic insights on emerging threats, security automation, and the intersection of AI, quantum security, and cyber resilience. His focus is on bridging network and security strategies, helping telecom and enterprise clients navigate the increasingly complex cybersecurity challenges of next-generation networks and the quantum era. Luca brings a fresh, strategic lens to cybersecurity—helping clients future-proof their infrastructure while leveraging automation, AI, and emerging quantum-resilient technologies to enhance cyber resilience in the face of evolving threats.

Previously, Luca was Chief Research Officer at Huawei Ireland’s Research Centre, where he led advanced automation and AI-driven network solutions. His work contributed to the evolution of Autonomous Networks, zero-touch operations, and resilient service architectures—critical components in modern cyber-defense strategies. Before Huawei, he held Chief Architect roles at Amdocs and Cramer Systems, leading the design of secure, scalable OSS/BSS platforms for Tier 1 telecom operators.

Adam Gibbs

An experienced research sales professional, Adam has worked with Ovum, Analysys Mason, Supply Weaver and AMR Research. His background covers the IT, media and telecommunications sectors.

In his previous role, he was Sales Director for the Middle East and Africa region for Ovum, leading a team of senior account managers looking after complex research contracts with clients including Etisalat, STC, Safaricom, Ooredoo and Zain.

Rysio Pakula